Apples and Oranges
by coconutmoon
Summary: Something's gotta change. Lily Evans and James Potter are this year's head students and if something doesn't change, they're going to kill each other or everyone else. The only question is how to change things. And who's trying to change them?
1. Girl all the Bad Guys Want

Girl all the Bad Guys Want – Bowling for Soup

If you were to look in through the window of the 39th train compartment on the Hogwarts Express on September first in 1976 you would have seen three rather pretty girls on their way to their last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The only thing wrong with the picture was the hair color of the normally red haired Lily Evans.

"Well it could be worse Lily." Marlene, a short skinny brunette told her, "It isn't Slytherin colors this time."

"And besides," Emmaline, Lily's other good friend a tall curve blonde, said, "It's tradition at this point. Didn't he change your hair color on the train ride in our first year?"

"Oh that's right," Marlene giggled, "Wasn't it lime green and orange?"

Lily flicked her wand at her hair changing it back to its usual red. "Don't remind me," she sighed, peaking out into the corridor to make sure the boy in question was in fact gone. The boy in question was, by the way, James Potter. A regular teenage boy who had yet to fully mature and was therefore still attempting to get the attention of his crush by pulling her pigtails and cursing her purple as any young wizard might do.

James Potter was also a Marauder and therefore didn't just turn his crush purple; he turned everyone purple. This infuriated Lily. James Potter would happily tell anyone that you could tell when Lily Evans was frustrated because her green eyes would flash and her voice would become lower, a sexy bedroom voice, as he called it. This of course would only infuriate Lily even more.

Suffice it to say, Lily and James didn't really get along, even though James had been asking Lily out on and off for the past few years. There wasn't really any explanation for this. No one, beyond James, and his friends possibly, understood why. The two didn't like one another. The only reason Lily was good at hexes, other students joked, was because she had perfected them by practicing on James in her first year. People also joked that the only reason James was so good at sports was because he was always running away from a very angry Lily Evans after pulling one of his infamous pranks.

"Isn't that why you guys don't get along?" Emmaline asked.

"No, we don't get along because after he turned my hair lime green and orange, I later pushed him in the lake. That didn't go over well with him or his friends… who were in the boat when I tipped it over." Lily grinned while reminiscing. "Good times, good times. Well except for my hair. I didn't know the counter-curse back then."

"Poor Lily, so sensitive over your hair. Anyways, I think it's silly that you guys still don't get along," Marlene said, shuffling a deck of exploding snap cards. "Anyone for exploding snap?"

"Didn't the boys rename it Exploding Snape?" Emmaline joked. "They even pasted on pictures of Snape if I remember correctly."

"They would." Lily grunted as she carefully placed a card on the pile. "Those bloody Marauders are so full of it. Do you know, he's still asking me out. Literally, the second I saw him, before saying hi, before even changing my hair color, he asked me out. Honestly… I don't get it. I wish he would stop. He doesn't like me and I don't like him."

"I don't know Lily; no one really knows what goes on in that boy's mind. Maybe he really does like you." Marlene said causing Lily to go off in peals of laughter and explode the pile of cards directly in her own face.

"That's ridiculous and almost as likely as Dumbledore getting it on with the Minister of Magic." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Hey now Lily, if Dumbledore and the Minister want to get it on, then it's their own business." Emmaline giggled.

"Oh honestly Em, you're worse then Lily." Marlene shook her head, "I think you and James ought to try and get along this year. I mean being as he's head boy and you're head girl and all, it might make everyone's life easier." She said to Lily.

"Sure it would, but we don't get along. He's an immature prat and he doesn't stop making fun of me."

"Sure he does, he stops every time he asks you out." Emmaline said trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh come on Lily, he's beginning to grow up. I think you two should move on and forget the past." Marlene sighed at the pointlessness of her suggestions, which were lost on Lily.

Emmaline, bored with the conversation said, "And besides, you would have really hot children."

"That is so gross Em, really bad mental picture. James Potter and I don't get along. We never will." Lily declared.

"When are you going to get it Lily?" Marlene asked. You see, Lily could be a bit dense when it came to members of the opposite sex. It took her to the end of May in her fourth year to figure out that her potions partner had an enormous crush on her, even though he couldn't talk when he was around her and tended to stare at her and drool in class.

"No, you don't get it Marlene, James Potter and I are like apples and oranges. Apples and oranges don't mix." Lily was clearly frustrated, "And I know it's a terrible analogy for me and Potter, but it's true. You can't compare apples and oranges. Potter and I aren't the same. We don't get along. End of story."

"Sure you are. The same I mean." Lily's friend Marlene pushed on, "And yea, he's a "toe-rag" as you call him, but you have to admit you're still rather similar."

Lily's eyes were flashing angrily, "No we aren't'! He's, he's an arrogant bullying _toe-rag_ who thinks he is god's gift to womankind or something."

"I've heard that speech a dozen times Lily. But just listen," Marlene wasn't ready to admit defeat, "you're both smart, and you both like Quidditch, and you're both ridiculously good at dueling, and you both want to be Aurors, and."

At this point, Lily interrupted her, "You're off your rocker Marlene. So what if we're both smart? I study, he doesn't. I'm good at Charms and Potions; he's good at Transfiguration and Defense against the _bloody_ Dark Arts. He lives and breathes Quidditch, I just like watching it. Besides Quidditch generally consists of yummy guys in well-fitted clothes. Somehow," Lily continued dryly arching on brow, "I doubt Potter likes it because of the yummy guys. And, and so what? Just because we have similar goals and abilities doesn't mean a bloody thing. I don't like him! So stop suggesting that I take his propositioning seriously and say yes. And if you see so many great qualities in him, why don't you date him."

Marlene snorted into her bottle of butterbeer at the mere suggestion, "Because he's _in love_ with you Lily, not me. And besides I don't like him, I just feel sorry for the poor guy."

"Feel sorry for the poor guy!" Lily practically shrieked, "Oh yes, because he's the one who's made my life a living hell since he hit puberty, and you feel sorry for him. Thanks a lot Marlene." Lily pointedly ignored Marlene's suggestion that James Potter was in love with her.

"Alright Lily. I'll stop," Marlene said apologetically, "Apples and oranges, oil and water, I get it. I promise not to bring this up again."

"Thanks, Marlene. I'm sorry I nearly bit your head off it's just that with spending the entire summer with Petunia and the great big headed prat Potter being appointed head boy I'm already stressed out and we're still only on the train." Lily put her head into her hands, frowning.

"I just can't understand what Dumbledore was thinking when he appointed Potter as head boy." Emmaline said while picking up the mess of cards on the floor. Emmaline had been quite during their fight mainly because while she disagreed with Lily and James fighting, but she didn't like getting on the bad side of Lily or Marlene as she often did when they were fighting about the 'Potter situation' and they had all taken to calling it".

"Maybe he was high," Lily suggested wiggling her eyebrows.

"_Really Lily_! This is the professor we're talking about. You being head girl and all, you shouldn't go around suggesting that our professors get high on the weekends," Marlene said mockingly, "Although they might."

"Oh don't remind me. I don't like being head girl much more than Potter wants to be head boy. All the responsibility means less fun and less freedom and higher expectations from the teachers," Lily complained.

And that was how the train ride to school at the beginning of Lily Evan's seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry started.

-

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	2. Smile Like You Mean It

Smile Like you Mean It - The Killers

"It's official." Marlene grumbled dropping her books on the bed, "There's too much work."

"You're telling me." Lily said, lying upside down on her bed, "I just had Transfiguration with McGonagall. Poor Peter Simons ran out of the classroom crying within the first 10 minutes, so we're down to seven students in the newts class."

Emmaline looked at pointedly at Lily, "Have I told you how crazy you are to be taking so many newts courses."

"Um, at least once?" Lily said closing her eyes.

"…An hour, every day," Marlene finished for her.

"Right. Well you're crazy." Emmaline stated again.

"Believe me, I know." Lily groaned, "I've got about a million hours of homework and I've only been to two classes. It's awful. And to top it off, I've got all my classes with three out of the four marauders. And you guys aren't there to break up the fights."

"Cause we're so successful at that." Marlene said rolling her eyes.

"Well, poor Remus can't prevent the fighting all on his own. I guess you didn't run into Potter at lunch." Lily said nearly falling off the bed.

"Oh dear, what did he do to you?" Emmaline looked worried at the thought. She went over to Lily's bed to see if anything was visibly different with Lily.

"Don't you mean what did _Lily_ do to _him_?" Marlene wasn't nearly as worried, but then she had been at lunch.

"No I mean, what did Potter do to Lily to cause Lily to do whatever she did to him?" Emmaline said trying to explain.

"I'm confused." Marlene said.

"So am I." Lily said rolling so that she was in the center of her bed, "I want sleep."

"So what were we talking about?" Marlene asked.

"The fact that Potter is currently walking around with shocking pink robes that he can't take off or change the color of," Lily clarified.

"So you finally found a block to the counter-curse. Right so what did he do to you?" Emmaline asked; the purpose of the conversation finally clear.

"He announced to the Potions class, in front of Professor Slughorn, that I was carrying his child and should therefore go to Hogsmeade with him?" Lilly revealed.

"He's not as creative this year is he? I think he used that one in fifth year," Marlene said inspecting her nails.

"He did. But it was still embarrassing because Slughorn believed him and started crying," Lily giggled.

"Well you are like his protégé, so in his opinion you having a child would ruin his future connections. And then he couldn't marry you," Marlene looked very serious while saying this.

"Gross! Bad mental picture. Please tell me you didn't just say that Slughorn wanted to marry Lily," Emmaline said wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Well he does, I mean he's in love with you," Emmaline raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Foul and illegal Em," Lily said, "I never want to think of that again."

"Not for long. You'll be legal in the wizarding world in just a few months." Marlene pointed out.

"I know. I'm so excited." Lily said bouncing on her bed, "Seventeen, it's hard to believe."

"So, are we having a party?" Emmaline asked excitedly.

"Oh I don't know you guys. Don't you think we've grown out of birthday parties?" Lily said remembering a previous birthday party that had resulted in a number of detentions for everyone in attendance, "That and we always get in trouble."

"I'd say it's worth it, very _very_ worth it," Marlene clearly had ideas about the party.

"Oh and what exactly are you suggesting?" Lily quirked an eyebrow.

"You'll see," Marlene said cautiously, she didn't want to give anything away to Lily about what would be happening at the party.

"If it's illegal or dangerous I will kill you, bring you back, and kill you again," Lily said menacingly or at least as menacingly as she could considering she was wearing bunny slippers and flopped on her bed like a rag doll.

"Duly noted: 'Don't get Lily hurt or in trouble because of party'," Marlene pretended to write down in a notebook. What she actually wrote was another matter entirely.

"Oh bloody hell. I'm late for a meeting with the Dumbledore," Lily said jumping up all of a sudden.

"Head girl stuff?" Emmaline asked.

"Nope. I have no idea what it's about," Lily said running out of the room forgetting a few things.

"Um Lily, you might want to put on proper shoes and something other than your nightgown. Unless you want everyone ogling you." Angela yelled down the stairs.

Lily stopped, half way down the stairs, just before the turn in the stairwell that is visible to the common room, turned, and ran back up to the room.

"You know," Emmaline commented standing by the door holding Lily's clothes, "You're a good witch; you could've summoned a shirt. And when are you going to move into the heads dorm?"

"I never said I had any common sense. I'm still a muggle born so I forget sometimes. As soon as Potter moves out; you know we don't get along Em." Lily said grabbing the clothes and trying to put them on while running down the staircase.

"Well you might want to remember before you apply to become an auror," Marlene called down the stairs after Lily.

"Very good point. It's too bad you can't apparate in the castle, it would make things so much faster," Lily yelled back up before disappearing for the meeting.

-

Lily ran all the way to Professor Dumbledore's office, managing not to get lost. This put a smile on her face. It had only taken 6 years and a bit for her to figure out the castle.

"Hello my dear," Professor Dumbledore said kindly.

"Hello Professor," Lily panted slightly out of breath.

"Gumdrop?" The professor offered her the dish of colorful muggle sweets.

"Um, no I'm fine thanks," Lily politely declined.

" Well Miss. Evans, I have an offer for you." Dumbledore said, patting Faukes who hooted softly, "You do, I am sure, know of Lord Voldemort – the rising Dark Wizard."

"Yes of course Professor. Um, Lord Voldemort has been killing muggles, muggleborns, and so called _Mudblood _supporters for years. Many pureblooded wizards agree with and support him. His uh, supporters are called Death Eaters. He's been a serious threat since the late 1960s. There's the _Dark Mark_. And you're the only one he's afraid of," Lily reeled off what she knew of him because it seemed to be what Dumbledore wanted, but she said it all with some unease.

"Very good, you aren't afraid to say his name that is the first step towards not fearing him," Dumbledore seemed pleased.

"Sorry Professor, but what does this have to do with what you wanted to see me for?" Lily asked carefully.

"I have been keeping my eye on you over the years Miss. Evans. You are a talented witch, a strong person, and your sense of right and wrong is very much in tact if you look at your dealings with Mr. Potter."

"Professor?" Lily asked.

"What I mean is, have you ever heard of the Order of the Phoenix?" Dumbledore looked at Lily with a piercing gaze.

"I may have overheard something once when I was waiting for Professor McGonagall about a year ago," Lily said shifting in her seat looking guilty about eavesdropping.

"I see. Well what do you know about it?" Dumbledore asked.

"Very little," Lily said softly.

"Allow me to explain then," when Dumbledore did not appear to be angry, Lily visibly relaxed. "The Order is a group of talented and dedicated witches and wizards who are working to defeat Voldemort."

"Oh," Lily said looking at the professor with wide eyes.

"Would you like to join?" Dumbledore asked Lily looking at her, judging her.

Lily thought about it, her thoughts jumping from her family who were potential targets of the Dark Lord, to her friends, to the people who had been murdered by the man, to their grieving families – if there had been any survivors, "Yes," Lily said decidedly.

"Very good. There will be difficult training for despite your abilities; you aren't ready yet. There are also some things that the school doesn't teach that you will need to learn; for that there are other teachers, myself included," Dumbledore told Lily, beginning to outline her future.

For Lily her aspirations of being an auror were replaced by working for this Order of the Phoenix. She could see that she would be more useful with Dumbledore than with the Ministry, which despite the many killings in recent years was being very bureaucratic and difficult about the entire situation. They were short of Aurors but weren't willing lower the standards. Lily saw the practicality of the situation very clearly. "Was there anything else professor?" Lily asked Dumbledore.

"Only one thing Miss. Evans, it might be a good idea if you were to move into your proper dorm."

"Oh, about that Professor, I just think that it would be better if Potter and I didn't share a dorm, I mean we are liable to kill one another if we have to spend too much time together," Lily tried to explain.

"I realize this Miss. Evans but I believe if would be best if you were to move in," Professor Dumbledore told her firmly.

"Alright Professor," Lily sighed at the thought of living with James Potter for the next eight and a half months, it was not a happy prospect.

-

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I promise James Potter will finally make an entrance in the next chapter. Promise.


	3. Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Take a Walk on the Wild Side – The Velvet Underground

"This is the last of them," Lily told Emmaline and Marlene as she shrank the rest of her boxes to move them to the head girl's dorm. "I still don't understand why Dumbledore wants me to move in with Potter. He must be crazy if he doesn't realize that it just means that we are more likely to kill one another."

"I don't know Lily, maybe he thinks it will be beneficial. Maybe living in such close quarters will cause you two to get along better," Marlene suggested.

"Either that or he wants you to improve your dueling skills," Emmaline laughed.

"Well that is sure to happen, but Potter and I getting along – never," Lily stated adamantly.

"You never know Lily, besides maybe it won't be so bad," Emmaline suggested kindly, patting Lily on the back. "By the way, have you seen those gorgeous red pumps of mine?"

"You mean, my red pumps?" Marlene said crawling out from under her bed holding the pair of shoes.

"My hero," Emmaline said breathlessly, batting her eyelashes and leaning against Marlene, causing the other girls in the room to laugh.

"So anyways Em, what are the slut shoes for?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have a date with that Ravenclaw beater Joshua," Emmaline announced to the girls.

"Oh he's yummy," Lily and Marlene agreed.

"Must be off," Emmaline bounced out of the room followed by a not so bouncy Lily with her stuff to move into her new dorm, "bye Marlene."

Marlene waited a few minutes, listening to the sound of her friends' footsteps as they disappeared down the stairwell. After that, she said to a seemingly empty room, "You can come out now boys."

The boys, all Gryffindor, and all in seventh year suddenly appeared from underneath a silvery cloak. Sirius Black was the first to appear, with his dark hair and dark looks, he was easily the best-looking boy in the year. Remus Lupin appeared next. He had the look of an absent-minded scholar with a touch of premature grey in his light brown hair, but don't be fooled because behind the innocent façade, Remus Lupin was often the brains behind the pranks by the infamous Marauders. Peter Pettigrew was the last to appear from within the cloak. He was a bit shorter than the other two with watery blue eyes and fair baby blonde hair, but despite his less impressive appearance, he was a dangerous boy to get on the wrong side of.

"Don't know why she wants to date that Joshua, he's a man whore," Sirius muttered darkly.

"So're you Sirius," Remus told him.

"Good point," Sirius admitted smiling.

"So you see boys," Marlene appeared to ignore the previous conversation but really filed it away for future need, "Lily is refusing to even think of changing her mind about James."

"Aw Marlene, just wait, when she moves in with him, she'll see a different side," Sirius said giving her his infectious smile.

"You sure about that Sirius?" Remus asked, "She might see that he isn't as bad as he used to be with pranks and being a git and all, but that doesn't mean she won't suddenly be privy to all the things we currently are; including what a slob he is and the girls he still has a habit of bringing back to his room."

"On the other hand," Peter added, "She will also see that he actually studies and that he can in fact be nice."

"Well there's no point in debating the merits of Lily moving in or not. It's too late now because Dumbledore already told her to move in, as I'm sure you heard. I wonder if he knows something we don't," Marlene mused, "Anyways," she pushed the thought away with a wave of her hand," We'll just have to wait and see."

"And plan damage control," Peter piped in.

"Quite so Peter," Remus agreed, "But there's no way that we can plan for all possible occurrences. So we're just going to have to hope that James plays the good boy and."

"And Lily pulls that stick out of her arse and sees Jimmi the way all the other girls do," Sirius interrupted.

"Here, here," The other agreed.

"So we agree to wait and see and check in with both parties," Marlene said looking to each boy, waiting for each to nod their head in agreement. "Now I have a date with an Arithmancy paper if you boys will excuse me," Marlene said standing up and ushering the boys towards the door, "And one of these days and swear you are going to have to tell me how you manage to get up and down the girl's staircase without it becoming a slide."

Sirius grinned, "Marauder's secret to the grave, love." Peter and Remus nodded their heads and with a swish of the invisibility cloak, they were gone.

Marlene sat back down on her bed thinking. They had been having these 'meetings' for almost two years now. Ever since the giant squid incident. However, it seemed like no matter how the four tried, Lily and James never got any closer. Admittedly, not much could be done before James grew up; but that had happened. Marlene just couldn't understand why Lily refused to see James in any other way. It's not as if she's scared, Lily's never been scared of a thing, well except for whatever was in the recurring nightmare she had been having for years. Marlene shook her head returning to her original train of thought. But Lily and James, Marlene just knew somehow, were supposed to be together. "Well nothing to do but wait and hope, for now," Marlene realized that what she had told the boys was true, waiting was all they could do until Lily accepted that James had grown up.

-

When Lily entered the heads dorm for the first time, she was both pleased and disappointed. Pleased because the place was wonderful, with shelves upon shelves of books, a large balcony with high French doors, and plenty of comfortable couches and chairs by a roaring fire. Disappointed because she would have to share a common room with James Potter; and that she could tell, would be a pain. "We'll just have to do something about that," Lily said to herself.

"Talking to yourself again Lily?" James Potter appeared from the door on the left, probably the head boy's dorm. He towered over her by nearly a foot. He had perpetually messy black hair, swirling gray eyes, a soft playful smile, and glasses that made him look deceptively studious.

"As usual Potter, it's better than talking to you." Lily rolled her eyes and stomped up to the door on the right, "I assume this is my room."

"You assume right." James said, "Welcome to the head dorm Lily," he whispered after she had disappeared into her new room.

_Well that didn't gone well_, Lily thought to herself as she enlarged her boxes and began to magically unpack everything. There was a knock on her door, "What is it Potter?" She asked.

"Dumbledore wants to see us both," he told her with a smile.

"Is it about head duties?" Lily asked him.

"Nope," he was grinning, presumably pleased about something, "It's about _The Order_."

Lily's mouth opened and closed a few times, "You know, you're in, you – the Order?"

"Yes Lily. I was invited into The Order as well. There's no need to show all your shock and disappointment," His sarcasm was a bit too bitter for him to pull off.

"Oh, well I supposed we should go see what it's about," Lily said trying to show her emotions less.

-

The meeting with Dumbledore had only covered more of the basics. He had also told them that they would be leading the other students in The Order. This had surprised both Lily and James because neither had expected that other students at Hogwarts had been invited into The Order. He had told them when their first lessons would be and what they would be learning outside of the Hogwarts curriculum. It had gotten dark and the moon was up by the time the meeting was almost over.

"Professor," James said suddenly, "I have to go, now. I have that appointment, _remember_," he said looking at Dumbledore as if they shared a secret.

Dumbledore turned his head looking out the window, Lily followed his line of sight and guessed he was looking towards the full moon, "By all means Mr. Potter, hurry down," he nodded his farewell to James, "That's about all I needed to tell the both of you. So goodnight, Miss. Evans. You may want to hurry back to your dorm otherwise you'll be out after hours."

"Certainly, good night Professor," Lily nodded leaving the office. However, instead of heading for her dorm, she followed the echoing footsteps of James Potter. They lead her to the front hall and left her there. It wasn't until she heard the great front door swing shut with a resounding slam that she realized that he had gone outside.

Lily ran outside feeling the cold night air on her skin cause goosebumps up and down her arms. She hadn't worn her cloak unfortunately. She remained on the front steps, not knowing where he had run off. All she saw was a stag running towards the forest. She made an oddly ethereal picture, in her weekend only white summer dress with her red hair flowing loose down her back, as she picked her way towards Hagrid's Hut and past the Whomping Willow. She figured that if Potter had an appointment at this time of night, it was a detention with Hagrid, but curiosity had led her outside and she wasn't going to go in now. She had made it to Hagrid's pumpkin patch when an odd still came over the night.

Lily shivered, looking around, trying to figure out the change in the air. She froze in shock when she noticed that not only was the Whomping Willow completely still, but three animals were standing by it. The stag she had seen earlier, a very big black dog and what she saw next made her stumble backwards in fear. A werewolf. "Oh god, oh god, oh god," the air rushed out of her lungs as Lily turned and ran for Hagrid's hut. Upon reaching the door, she banged on it repeatedly and when that resulted in nothing, she tried to force it open. When she realized that it wasn't going to open, she turned to face the Whomping Willow again in fear. But the animals were gone and the Whomping Willow was acting like itself again.

Lily couldn't help but wonder if she had just imagined the entire scene. Out of fear, she gripped her wand tightly as she cautiously picked her way back to Hogwarts, being careful to give the willow a very wide berth.

Once Lily was back in the head's common room sitting in front of the toasty fire her thoughts started to become logical and make sense. Out of habit, she began to talk aloud to try to figure things out, "Potter can't have had a detention with Hagrid because Hagrid wasn't home and they wouldn't have gone out for a detention because it was a full moon and the forest is dangerous enough when it isn't a full moon. So where did Potter go? I know he went outside because he's the only person stupid enough to go outside at night," Lily's mind jumped from one conclusion to another, a testament to her brilliant intellect, but her final conclusion, as unexpected as it was, caused her to nearly fall out of her chair, "He's an Animagus." She used what little she knew to conclude that Remus was the werewolf, his always being sick the main hint, and that Potter must be the stag. She was still in such shock that her other emotions had yet to process this remarkable discovery.

-

Review please. It doesn't take all that long and it makes me happy and means that I will probably... hopefully... put out the next chapter faster.


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